Our Guests

Here are "our" boys! We found out today that we will be hosting Daniel (10yrs) and Randu (11yrs). From what I have read, everyone falls in love with Daniel and he has a "cheeky" smile. His father is from the Giriama tribe in Kenya and is 4'10". Evidently, this tribe is very small in stature and so is Daniel. Randu has six siblings, and his brother is one of the drummers in the choir. His brother is only a year older than he is, and they look a lot alike. Because of this, they like to play pranks on their instructors regarding who is who. We are anxiously awaiting our guests!

The Singing Children Of Africa

We found out yesterday that we get to host two children from Africa for four days! They are coming to perform with their group "The Singing Children of Africa." A lot of them are orphans, all of them live in extreme poverty. Many live in mud huts. This is the very first time they have ever been to the US. Right now, they are in the UK doing some performances, then they come here on July 31. We are SO excited and know this will be a fantastic experience for everyone involved. I spoke with the coordinator and she told me that their favorite food is chicken and rice, or chicken and "chips" (fries). We got to request how many children we will host, their gender, and peferrable ages. This was my chance to balance the scales a little with some more girls in the house, but guess what.....I told them we would take two boys. I figured they would have a blast with my boys and vice versa. We are just so excited to experience all their new experiences here through their eyes. Running water, toilets, air conditioning! We are going to take them to the pool and water slides, and probably a good ol' American baseball game. What else would you do with them?
You can read about their program here. I'll post more info as I receive it!

I'm A Chesser Afterall!

Growing up, we spent nearly every Saturday during the summer at my Grandma and Grandpa Chesser's house working in their HUGE (1/2 acre) garden. We grew everything imaginable from lettuce, to green beans, to grapes. As an adult, I have never really had my Grandma's green thumb. I always claimed that gene seemed to skip over me. I can kill silk plants. Seriously, I can. My brother Jerry however, can stick a twig from a pussy willow tree in the back yard and two years later it's a full blown tree. (That is an honest to goodness true story) He SPITS in the ground and it grows. Of course, he's lived in Iowa and Nebraska, I live in Utah, where the only thing that grows well are rocks.
I have wanted to plant a garden for several years now. However, I have no desire to till up the ground or weed it constantly. My friend Mindy introduced me to the idea of "Square Foot Gardening" using homemade planter boxes. It's GENIUS! I must add that I have done this completely ALONE! Joel has made it perfectly clear that he will never, EVER help me with a garden, then rambled on about childhood scars from weeding blah blah blah. Read about his gardening musings here. Funny, the entire rest of his family doesn't remember it going down quite like he does, but I digress.
I bought the wood and made my boxes about six weeks ago. Then I made my own soil. (This is the key to no weeds) Thanks to Trisha, I finally planted them (she did one box, I did one) two weeks ago. Just TWO weeks ago. Almost one entire box was started from seeds. The other, from small plants. They are growing HUGE! I even have a bell pepper and a hot pepper growing already! When those little sprouts popped up out the soil, I was peeing my pants excited. It's like my new child. I'm out there every night, watering it, admiring it, beaming proud of my new born veggies. The boys are really excited about it too, although Jack likes to attack it with the hose a little too vigorously. We are growing Roma tomatoes, cilantro, yellow bell peppers, orange bell peppers, hot peppers, sweet basil, pumpkins, cantaloupe, watermelon, peas, carrots,zuchini, cuccumbers and green beans. ALL in this little space. Here's some pictures of my new pride and joy. Since Joel is so traumatically scarred from childhood gardening and is unable to muster up any excitement for me, I needed to share my pictures so somebody could share in my excitement! OH yeah, he'll wish he had helped as the boys and I eat my FRESH GROWN AND HOMEMADE Salsa this fall. "Chips and Salsa honey? OH! That's right, I'm sorry, you thought gardening was LAME." CRUNCH!

Reality Check

Last week as I walked in the door from work, I was greeted by the Smalls who had found their way into and helped themselves to my make-up drawer. I was hoping the mess would be contained to my bathroom. But alas, it was in my bathroom, down the hall, down the stairs, in the family room down stairs, smeared on the TV, etc etc etc. The worst part was the water proof mascara streaked all through Logan's VERY blonde hair. UG! (I took pictures to document this, but Jack got a hold of my camera yesterday and deleted everything on it, ARGH!) Anyway, I was telling my friend Deaun(whose youngest is 10) about this little "adventure" of the Smalls with great frustration. She replied with, "Well, just think, in a few years you will be through all these little adventures." I laughed and said "Yeah, people tell us we'll miss these days, but we are finding that hard to believe." She then told me that it's true, and that you don't miss the "adventures" as much as having kids that age. Suddenly it was like someone flipped on a light bulb in my head. It was my "Ah-ha" moment. I started thinking about how in THREE short years....just THREE years, our lives will be dramatically different! Noah will be 12, passing the Sacrament, going to the Temple, and starting Jr. High! Elijah will be older than Noah is now. Jack, will be Eli's age now and going to school all day long. And little Logan will be FIVE and starting Kindergarten! I will have no babies left at home! This suddenly made me very, VERY sad! It has truly inspired me to make the most of every day with them. We're letting some chores go and focusing on fun, Fun, FUN! So please excuse the mess if you drop by, I'm busy enjoying my boys at their tender young ages, messes and all! Thank you, Deaun!

Sweet, Sweet Summer

I love summer break! We are three weeks into June and enjoying every non-stressed minute of it! All the boys are home and it's all about having fun and family time. We get to sleep in until either a.) whenever we want or b.) Logan starts yelling all of our names to come get him out of bed. Then it's a low key morning of hot breakfasts and staying in our PJ's. Just this morning we had all four boys in our bed with us, wrestling around, tickling each other and constant laughter. I was in heaven. No dragging boys out of bed at O'dark thirty, no running around like chickens with our heads cut off in order to catch the bus, and no being home in time to meet the bus after school. Our days are filled with going to the swimming pool, meeting Aunt Reagan at the park, playing outside, riding bikes, etc etc etc. The freezer is stocked full of popsicles and frozen treats for the whole neighborhood. We are making yummy lunches and the boys are having a blast making treats with me in the kitchen. At lunchtime, I am feeding half my boys along with half the neighborhood, and other moms are feeding their kids and half my boys. We are grilling out nearly every night and getting together with friends. Jack and Gracie (the neighbor girl) are absolutely inseparable and are busy, Busy BUSY playing constantly. They wander back and forth from our house to theirs, grazing on snacks all day and playing in the circle. Bed time is when we absolutely can't hold up our heads for another minute of fun, or after we're done eating a huge bowl of parmesan popcorn and watching a movie together. THIS is what summer is all about. Wish it could last all year long.

99 Things About Me

Reagan's list on her blog inspired me and made me wonder if I could name 99 things about myself. Of course, some are more interesting than others, but here goes...

1. The Dr. told my Mom I was a boy (due to my heart rate). I was supposed to be “Jason James Chesser.” Aka “JJ”
2. My Dad chose my name, because he liked it and “Lisa” wasn’t very common…..HA!
3. I look a lot like my Mom and my brother, Jerry.
4. Jerry is an amazing person and I really wish my boys could grow up knowing him.
5. Noah is Jerry’s mini-me. He has the exact same personality and tastes and it makes me smile every day to know I have a part of my brother living in my home.
6. When I was little, I wanted blonde hair and blue eyes, and my name to be Cindy….as in Cindy Brady.
7. Now, you couldn’t pay me enough money to change my hair color.
8. I love the smell of Lilacs, Crayons, and Play-Doh, they remind me of my childhood.
9. I’d rather eat my Mom’s cooking than eat out.
10. I knew from the age of 4 that I wanted to do something in medicine when I grew up.
11. I was the 6th grade spelling bee champion.
12. My biggest fear as a child was my parents dying.
13. It’s still one of my biggest fears, because I know they love me unconditionally like nobody else does.
14. My favorite drink is Cran-Grape juice. Jordan Valley Hospital got me addicted to it after I had Noah.
15. I can only focus out of one eye at a time, and do not have 3-D vision.
16. One of my biggest dreams is to be in an F18 during a carrier landing. Yes, I know it will never happen, but I can dream!
17. Every night I lay in bed and think of all the ways I should have been a better mom that day.
18. I have never watched “Mary Poppins.”
19. I know my parent’s aren’t perfect, but I truly believe God blessed me with the best.
20. I hate ketchup, mayonaise & mustard.
21. I have a hard time relaxing.
22. Joel has taught me that there is an alternate solution to every problem.
23. Noah teaches me humility.
24. Eli teaches me to give of myself.
25. Jack teaches me humor.
26. Logan teaches me unconditional love.
27. I sucked my thumb (only while I slept) until I was a teenager.
28. Every 2nd child on my Dad’s side of the family is left handed, I’m my Dad’s 2nd child.
29. My feet are so big I usually have to buy men’s tennis shoes.
30. I want to go deep sea fishing.
31. My favorite food is bread.
32. My favorite dessert is regular ol’ birthday cake with buttercream frosting, the more frosting the better.
33. Since giving birth to Logan, I am suddenly allergic to bananas.
34. I learned to water ski at age 9, behind a john boat, in the Des Moines river.
35. My favorite place to be is my parent’s house on the Lake.
36. I gave up the flute because my band instructor made inappropriate comments to me. I wish I would have reported him, and kept playing.
37. I was an Iowa Math and Science Scholar and had my first two years of college paid for.
38. I hated History classes in High School and College.
39. Now I find history fascinating and wish I would have paid more attention.
40. I believe what matters most in this world is how you treat other people.
41. Relationships are extremely important to me.
42. I am completely comfortable if I have “average” kids.
43. What I want most is for them to be happy.
44. I wish I was better organized.
45. I danced ballet, tap, jazz and pointe for 15 years. (That was many, MANY pounds ago!)
46. My mom claims I was the only child she knew that never wanted band-aids for an “owie” or medicine when I was sick.
47. My Sr. prom date is now gay.
48. My husband makes me laugh a lot.
49. My weekend curfew in high school was 1:30 am. Are those some trusting parents or what?
50. After several months, I realized my parents never remembered me waking them up to tell them I was home at 1:30 am, so I started coming home whenever I wanted.
51. My brother used to pay me $5 to flush the toilet so my parents wouldn’t hear him sneak out the back door late at night.
52. Clowns creep me out.
53. I average 4 ½ hours of sleep a night.
54. I miss Iowa thunder storms.
55. I really don’t have any childhood scars.
56. “To Kill A Mockingbird” is my all time favorite book.
57. Joel used to write me hilarious love poems in college, I still have them.
58. The smell of ketchup gags me, I can smell it from the other end of the house.
59. However, I love barbecue sauce!
60. I remember Jacque and I greasing ourselves down with CRISCO to layout and sunbathe.
61. Jacque is by far the strongest person I know. If it’s true that God only gives you what you can handle, it speaks volumes for her. I adore, respect, and miss her.
62. I worry that my kids drive other people crazy.
63. I have some OCD tendencies.
64. I miss my friendship with Julie B and think about her often.
65. Joey and I could do a weekend in Chicago for $60 + gas when we were in college.
66. Chicago is my favorite big city.
67. I love my job and never dread going to it.
68. I’ve always thought it would be fun to work in a flower shop.
69. Growing up, we would take out of town visitors to Nauvoo, do the tour, the whole nine yards, but I was clueless about the Mormon Church. Ironic that I later joined it.
70. Once I saved a baby that was choking on an ice cube in Liberty Park on Pioneer Day.
71. I still love hugs from my Dad, and pep talks from my Mom.
72. I have a fear of prisons, yet I am not breaking the law.
73. Growing up, my mom always told me my mouth would get me in trouble.
74. I was once punched in the face by Jacque’s ex-boyfriend and knocked out. (Please refer to #73)
75. I spent half my weekends at my Aunt Bev’s house. She let me make mud pies, paint things, and go through her jewelry box.
76. I hope I can be as good and fun of an Aunt to my nieces and nephews as Aunt Bev was to me.
77. Some nights, Joey and I lay in bed talking and laughing hysterically into the early morning hours. We’ve even been known to wake up the kids from laughing so loud.
78. I could easily go without a TV.
79. When I was 8 months pregnant with Noah, I put new brakes on my Honda by myself.
80. I love a good challenge.
81. Although sometimes I feel like God takes that previous statement WAY too serious.
82. I know the Gospel is perfect, and people in it are not.
83. When it comes to the Gospel, I believe that often times people get too caught up in the letter of the law and miss the entire spirit of the law.
84. Every year on Noah’s birthday, I cry.
85. Every day I laugh a lot.
86. When it comes to cleaning products and toiletries, I will only buy certain brands.
87. If time, money, and child care were no object, I would go to culinary school.
88. I was accepted to PA school in Washington, then found out I was pregnant with Noah a week later and gave up my spot.
89. The six months after Logan’s birth was the darkest and hardest time of my life.
90. The feelings from that time still haunt me.
91. It’s difficult for me to ask for help of any kind.
92. I stink at being the tooth fairy, I have forgotten FOUR times!
93. My Grandma Chesser visited me the day after she passed away. Then again about seven months later. She was young looking, beautiful and had perfect skin. This was not a dream.
94. I can juggle.
95. I often times have great ideas and poor follow through.
96. When there are no other adults in the car, I sing along with the radio REALLY loud.
97. There are many skills I still want to learn: gardening, photography, baking, upholstery, sewing and foreign languages to name a few.
98. I always cheer for the underdog.
99. When I was four, all but a corner of my bottom lip had to be sewn back on.
100. I felt a great need to name 100 things instead of 99 (Please see # 63)

Quote Of The Week

While eating dinner last night of pizza and garlic cheese bread, Jack announced....."When I eat garlic bread, it's like a party in my mouth!"

Noah's Got Talent!

Today was the 24th Annual 3rd Grade Talent Show. When I got the notice about it (YESTERDAY) I asked Noah what he was going to do. He replied "Nothing, I don't really have any talents." This made me SO sad! If I could borrow a small fraction of Eli's self confidence and transfer it over to Noah, it would do wonders for him. I said "What about the piano?" He suddenly looks up with huge eyes and says "OH YEAH!" As if he had fogotten that he now takes piano lessons. I took the smalls and headed to the school, and it was well worth wrestling Logan the whole time. SUCH a riot! Most of the "performances" were 9 year old girls ad libbing dances to a random song they chose five minutes before. Or doing "cheers" for the crowd. Or their version of gymnastics. Complete entertainment. Out of all the third grade, Noah was one of four boys that performed! He has had a whopping eight piano lessons and this is the piece he played for his piano recital last week. Since I forgot the camera then, I thought I would post this one. Sorry for the shaky picture, I was holding Logan in the other arm and trying to keep Jack next to me at the same time. Enjoy!

Spring Pictures

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for the bigs' birthdays. Grandma had pictures taken so I thought I would share. Enjoy!

Sam I Am

April is the month for birthdays in the Nielsen family. This year alone, we have now added two more! Samuel Richard Crane was delivered via c-section on April 24. He is our newest Sumo wrestler and weighed in at a hefty 8lb. 10oz. Poor Katrina! As you can see, he is absolutely ADORABLE! That dark, dark curly hair absolutely melts me. As his Uncle Logan put it, the Cranes now have Salt (Benjamin), Pepper (Sam), and Cinnamon(Abigail). A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead! I don't think you could put in an order better than how that turned out! Katrina had gestational diabetes with this pregnancy and was SO good to follow her special diet. She's a self proclaimed chocoholic, so that makes it even harder. I know I couldn't have done it. But look at her! Doesn't she look fantastic?! Matthew and Katrina have anticipated this third baby for a long time. I definitely think he was worth the wait! We get to go spend time with them next month when they will bless him. Congrats! And thanks for the gorgeous nephew!

OH YEAH! I've improved!

289 words

Speedtest

Observation

As I was looking over my blog today, I realized something. That picture of me, right over there on the right. Yeah, I've seen it hundreds of times, it's the same picture that is on my IM's too. Anyway, I'm standing close to a sign on our wall that says "Home is where your story begins." However, I just realized today that it is over my head and says "HO." How come nobody points these things out to me? I feel like Elaine on Seinfeld when she sent out the Christmas cards with her picture and she didn't realize she was exposing herself in it. Oh well, everybody's seen my "Ho" picture now....I'm leaving it.
Love,
Your Local Ho

Finger Exercises

118 words

Speed test

I got this from Reagan's blog. Joey and I did this test several months ago, because he was claiming that he typed so much faster than me. HA! I kicked his trash, by like thirty some words a minute. Who? Me? Competitive? Naaaah......only with Joey when he makes a claim that I KNOW isn't true. Take it and post your results!

House Call

Last Thursday was the first day of Spring Break for the Bigs. Aaaaah. I get to sleep in. For three blissful weeks, I don't have to wake up when it's still dark, and try to drag kids out of bed and get them ready. I was SO looking forward to sleeping in on Thursday.........then along came Jack.

Jack enters my room at 6:30 am. I hear him, and feel him climb up on my bed, but keep my eyes closed. Jack leans over me and starts talking to me. I ignore him. Jack repeats. I ignore some more, and keep my eyes closed. I'm hoping if he realizes I'm not answering, he'll go back to bed. After playing this charade for a good fifteen minutes, I realize that I'm crazy. He's not going to shut up and go back to bed! WHY would I think he would go back to bed? Of COURSE he wakes me up early on the first day of break. I resign myself to getting up, and sit up in bed, to which Jack responds with "OOOOH MOM! YOU AWAKE!" I mumble something back under my breath, grab a tissue and blow my nose. Then I start coughing. Jack leans over in my lap and says "Mom, you got a cold? Or you got a hot?" I close my eyes, shake my head back and forth, to clear my ears, and say "What?" Again he repeats it..."You got a cold? Or you got a hot?" I look at him and start laughing. He says "Here, let me see" He then grabs my arm, puts his hand on it, feels it for a few seconds, literally THROWS my arm back down and says "Yep, you got a hot"

So, I guess my early morning wasn't a waste after all. Not only did I get a "wake up call" from a three year old, but I also got a house call and was diagnosed with "a hot." I'd better stop taking that cold medicine.....evidently I've been treating myself all wrong.

WHAT did he say? Part II

Elijah was assigned to give a talk in Primary this week for Easter Sunday. We prepared a great object lesson complete with Easter eggs. He chose five kids to come to the front and gave them all a plastic egg. He instructed them not to open it until he told them to. Then, Eli built up about what is probably inside their eggs. "Do you think it's candy? It's probably candy, because that's what we get in Easter eggs. I can't WAIT to eat the candy." After a minute or two of build up, he had them open their eggs, to find.....(drum roll please)..... absolutely nothing. He then went on to talk about how Easter is when we celebrate the empty tomb of Christ. That even in "emptiness" we can find "sweetness" by overcoming death through him. He did a great job, with just one little hitch...
We had went through his talk three times in the morning. He always got hung up on the word "crucified" and would ask me what it was. After three times, I figured when he got to that word during his talk, he may pause, but would remember what it was quickly. Boy was I wrong! Instead, this is how that part went:

"Jesus' friends took his body and placed it in a tomb after he was CIRCUMSIZED."

(Yes, that's supposed to read "CRUCIFIED")

I let out an audible gasp and blurt out "CRUCIFIED, THAT'S CRUCIFIED, ELI!" Eli reads on, oblivious to what he had just said. Every adult in there was laughing so hard they were wiping away tears. Most of the kids were clueless, except for the older ones, who were snickering and repeating it back and forth to each other. All in all, it probably took second place to his prayer a few months ago, complete with swearing. (Please see post titled "WHAT did he say?")

He spoke clearly, he spoke slowly, and he delivered his one liner like a professional comedian. He, of course wasn't trying to be funny. However, I think maybe we should start selling tickets to sharing time whenever Eli has to take his turn at the microphone. Hope it gave you a laugh too!